Prince William has hired the late Princess Diana's divorce lawyers in a major shift for the future King. The 42-year-old has engaged the prestigious legal firm, Mishcon de Reya, who famously represented Diana during her tumultuous divorce from his father, the then-Prince Charles, in 1996.

The decision to now instruct the same firm signals a notable departure from royal precedent - with William no longer using the legal team traditionally associated with Buckingham Palace. Until this moment, William had been represented by Harbottle & Lewis - the law firm long favoured by the King, 76.

A source recently told Mail Online's royal correspondent Richard Eden: "William wanted to strike out on his own.

He did not want to continue using his father's lawyers. It's as simple as that. He wants to be his own man."

Mishcon de Reya is known to have welcomed Diana under their wing, meaning that they will undoubtedly do the same for her eldest son and his family.

The company's deputy chairman, the late Anthony Julius, served as a founding trustee and later vice-president until the fund was closed in 2012.

According to Mr Eden, William’s decision to branch out from his father’s legal advisers "shows that he is more than willing to shake up the status quo behind palace doors as well".

According to Sky News, a source close to William has said "William wants to do things differently from his father, and wants to be seen to do them differently."

The late Princess Diana tragically died in 1997 following injuries she sustained from a car accident in Paris.

She died, aged 36, alongside her partner Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul.